state. >>> president obama and first lady michelle are on their way to south africa to attend nelson mandela's memorial service. mean tile, tributes to the anti-apartheid icon continue to pour in. nbc's ron allen has more. >> reporter: the celebration of the life of nelson mandela continues now for yet another day. >> i'm very proud to be a south african. >> reporter: all this in anticipation of a huge event tomorrow, the memorial service at the main soccer stadium here. it seats 80,000 to 100,000 people. there will be world leaders from across the globe, dozens of them, including president obama, former presidents clinton, bush, and carter. for the past few days, there's been an outpouring of emotion. it's mostly been celebration also mixed with grief and mourning. but most people here are trying to focus on the positive and focus on the legacy of nelson mandela. >> i decided to come and pay respects for actually teaching me to look beyond color, to learn how to forgive. >> that is what nelson mandela was and is, actually, still. bringing people together despite their differences. >